Although the original is yet to see official release outside of the US, a developer was quoted yesterday at South by SouthWest (#sxsw) saying that the second iteration of Microsoft Surface, aka "Surface 2" or "Second Light" was in the [skunk] works. From the BBC:
"They haven't even got to point where they are going to commercialise," he said.
According to the BBC article, Surface (the first one) is also set to release in the UK next week (About time!). I know several companies have been testing it in Australia, but I've yet to see it for real.This video below is from CES 2008.
OK, so why is this news regurgitated on this blog?
Why I'm posting this semi-interesting news is worth explaining, and I'll be doing so soon. Let me preface it here by saying that interfaces such as Microsoft's surface, together with other super-sophisticated touch-based (and similar) interfaces have really caught my attention of late.
The devices - the iPhone is another, the Nintendo Wii another still - are heralding a new era of consumer products with simply incredible underpinnings and ideas behind them. What this leads to in other areas of innovation, from website layouts to personal computer interfaces, vehicle interfaces and more, is actually astounding.
I've spent some time looking at this and will be writing more about it in the future. It's related directly to my main work, and has expanded into something that I've become completely fascinated by.
